What is the difference between rupture and a leak?
A ruptured implant is one in which the implant shell has totally disrupted, with all the silicone gel lying free within the scar tissue capsule. On the other hand, a leak occurs when there is a tiny pinhole or slit in the implant shell, which results in a thin coating of silicone gel all over the surface of the implant. The distinction between these two terms is not clearly understood except by plastic surgeons very familiar with silicone gel breast implants. One could roughly compare these two events to a tire blowout versus a puncture.
